Judge Fines Pot Grower $1 for 30 Plants, Mocks ‘Ridiculous’ Law

One day last week, the main Gatineau courthouse was buzzing with a judge’s ruling, a loonie sentence that says much about marijuana’s road to respectability.

A man was before Justice Pierre Chevalier charged with cultivating 30 pot plants. The Crown was looking for a sentence of 90 days in jail.

The judge had a different idea. He fined the accused, Mario Larouche, $1, throwing in a victim surcharge of 30 cents.

Justice Chevalier called Canada’s cannabis laws “outdated and ridiculous” and pointed directly at the intentions of the new Liberal government of Justin Trudeau to legalize and regulate the use of marijuana.